Michael Schuster: Lightly toasty oak nose; elegantly balanced, moderately rich, medium-full, supple wine with a firm dry tannin; generous, sweetly ripe fruit and good length on palate and finish. Fine Beychevelle, and good with in the vintage. 15.5+

Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve: Not as intensely coloured as the others, nor was the flesh so creamy. But the texture showed great refinement, which made up for it. The sample tasted was, in any case, past its best, with a lack of precision in the mid-palate. Deserves to be retasted in a few months' time. 16